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OPEN CALL 2027
Open Call for Exhibitions in A-Galerii’s VAULT and WINDOWS
A-Galerii, the most important local exhibition space for contemporary jewellery and blacksmithing art, announces an open call for its 2027 program for VAULT and WINDOWS. We welcome exhibition proposals from jewellery artists as well as projects that boldly experiment and combine jewellery and blacksmithing art with other artistic disciplines. The open call runs from 13th of april until 01.06.2026.
EXHIBITION SPACES
VAULT is A-Galerii’s exhibition space primarily dedicated to showcasing new work by professional jewellery artists and blacksmiths. It also serves as a historical reference point, connecting the original function of the building as a goldsmith’s shop with its current role as the key local exhibition space for contemporary jewellery and blacksmithing art.
VAULT welcomes artists, writers, and researchers whose work stems from contemporary jewellery, craft practices, and their broader connections to visual culture.
VAULT’s height is 315 cm, with a floor area of 5.2 m². Works can be displayed using cables and magnets. Painting or drilling into the walls is not allowed. Exhibitions in VAULT typically run for about 5 weeks.
WINDOWS were originally created in 1891 as display windows for a goldsmith’s shop. Since 2019, they have become a significant exhibition platform for A-Gallery, offering contemporary jewellery artists the opportunity to present new or rediscovered work in a compact format and to extend the gallery space into the public urban environment.
WINDOWS are equally made for looking in and out. Therefore, they also welcome creations that take jewellery art as a starting point but are created in collaboration with other creative fields—such as sound, video, painting, design, literature, fashion, visual and performing arts, or architecture. Both group and solo projects that address contemporary jewellery and craft practices within the context of visual culture are welcome.
Curator-led projects are especially encouraged, particularly those that bring together several artists to create a unified and thoughtfully developed window exhibition. Proposals based on ideas still in development are also welcome—A-Gallery can collaborate in combining artists’ ideas into a coherent exhibition. Submitting artists do not need to plan to fill all windows.
There are five windows:
Two on Hobusepea Street:
One large (220 x 300 x 85 cm)
One small (220 x 140 x 48 cm)
Three on Pikk Street:
All three are 220 x 140 x 48 cm
The windows have ceiling hooks for hanging, lighting, and electrical sockets.
Exhibitions in the WINDOWS typically last around 10 weeks.
Costs related to the installation, deinstallation, production, and opening of the exhibition are covered by the artist.
A-Gallery can issue a confirmation letter to support funding applications.
Due to complex customs procedures, artists applying from outside the European Union should note that they are responsible for bringing in and later removing all exhibition works and materials (backgrounds, bases, etc.).
TO APPLY
Please submit the following materials (either work-in-progress or finalized):
Project title
Description of the project and works (2,000–2,500 characters)
Visual material related to the project (sketches, photos and/or drawings of the planned installation)
Technical equipment and/or special conditions required for exhibiting the work
Preferred exhibition time (month/quarter) and preferred exhibition space (SEIF / WINDOWS)
Also include:
Participating artist(s) and contact information
CV(s) and portfolio(s) of the participant(s)
Application deadline: Monday, June 1, 2026
Send applications to info@agalerii.ee either as a zipped folder attachment or a Google Drive link.
Please name your files clearly to reflect their content and the author’s name.
An application is considered submitted if it is sent on time and includes all the required information and materials.
The A-Galerii’s board, composed of jewellery artists, and exhibition coordinator Sille Luiga will evaluate and confirm the SEIF and WINDOWS program selections.
Applicants will be notified of the results in July 2026.
More information:
Sille Luiga
📧 info@agalerii.ee
📞 +372 51 05 036
Chao-Hsien Kuo/ Eero Hintsanen/ Elias Sormanen/ Heigo Jelle
Chao-Hsien Kuo ja Eero Hintsanen
This exhibition SEASONS presents works from a Finnish Master Goldsmith couple, Chao-Hsien Kuo and Eero Hintsanen. Working in their studio in Lahti, both artists create pieces with precious materials and traditional techniques. Their works convey the beauty and stories of Finland.
The exhibited works can be seen as the diverse sides of Finland—cheerful and romantic summers contrasted with tough and enduring winters. Chao’s works are delicate and feminine. Never ceasing to be amazed by the nature around her, she enjoys and sees beauty in every season. Through her jewellery, Chao wants to express the simple happiness in life. On the other hand, Eero’s works are bold and with a tough Finnish dimension. Growing up in the countryside, with forests and lakes as his playground, Eero’s take on nature is often raw and primitive, inspired by the mystique of old stories.
Both artists’ works reflect the closeness between humans and nature, but through very different approaches and interpretations. Chao and Eero’s creations may tempt the viewers to ponder the inspirations and messages in them, but above all, they can be appreciated as studies of form and the simple beauty of nature. Their uncompromising dedication to their craft is evident in the quality of their work.
Chao-Hsien Kuo (b.1973) and Eero Hintsanen (b.1972) are a Finnish Master Goldsmith couple who have worked side by side since 2005 and exhibited internationally since the late 1990s. Both trained at the School of Goldsmithing at the Institute of Design in Lahti and, among other institutions, hold MA degrees from Aalto University in Helsinki. Their artistry has been recognized with the prestigious title of Goldsmith of the Year, awarded to Eero in 2019 and Chao in 2022 by the Finnish Goldsmiths’ Association.
Elias Sormanen
When reason is swallowed by the black cave of the arctic night, the hidden beings come out. These are the lurkers in the marginalia, the periphery and the subconscious, the creatures that thrive in the border zones. When cataclysm strikes and reason is left to perish in the darkness, what wondrous growths will bloom out of the soil it leaves behind? At such a time old truths might turn out to be beliefs, and old beliefs the new truths.
The works in this exhibition owe their genesis to the novel Lomonosovin moottori by Antti Salminen, which envisions such circumstances and the sprouting of a new culture on the remote islands of Novaya Zemlya.
Elias Sormanen (b. 1986) is a Finnish metalsmith and artist, focusing primarily on sculptural forms and pictorial relief work in hammered sheet metal. Recurring motifs in his work include the uncanny, the absurd, and the grotesque. He holds a bachelor’s degree in jewelry design and is currently pursuing his master’s at the Estonian Academy of Arts. His work has been exhibited in group and solo exhibitions in Finland, Germany, and Estonia.
Heigo Jelle
The window exhibition SANDBOX showcases three iron sculptures by blacksmith Heigo Jelle.
Heigo Jelle writes: “The most important role in the creation of my works is play. I play with shapes, ideas, and iron. Life is not just an adventure but even more a game, and most of the time, it depends on the protagonist what games they play—whether it’s tic-tac-toe, checkers, football, poker, or betrayal. Or all of it mixed together. Every time a work is completed and it resonates with someone, even a little, it’s like a small game has been won. The forge is my sandbox and my playground.”
Heigo Jelle (b. 1963) is an Estonian metal artist. Jelle graduated from the Estonian SSR State Art Institute with a diploma as a metal artist in 1986. From 1991 to 2014, Jelle worked at the Estonian Academy of Arts, teaching specialized subjects, and for 18 of those years, he served as an associate professor in the Jewelry and Blacksmithing Department, overseeing the blacksmithing curriculum. Since graduating from ERKI (now EKA) and alongside his teaching career, Jelle has consistently pursued his creative work. Over the past ten years, sculptures have formed a significant part of his creations, though he states: “I have not started to see myself as a sculptor. I am happy to remain a blacksmith; after all, everything I’ve made is from iron.”
SURPRISE EGG EXHIBITION
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SURPRISE!
A flash SURPRISE EGG EXHIBITION is taking place at A-Galerii. We kindly ask you not to lay around at home but to come immediately here to see the spherical creations of our artists. From the exhibition, you can purchase both an IRON EGG, a SILVER EGG, and a GOLDEN EGG. Some of the artworks guarantee a first-place finish in an home egg-knocking competition, while others serve as talismans, bestowing the tranquility of inner peace upon life.
Participating artists:
Adolfas Šaulys, Ane Raunam, Caius Kull, Edgar Volkov, Ene Valter, Henry Mardisalu, Ivar Kaasik, Ive Maria Köögard, Kadi Kübarsepp, Kalle Kotselainen, Katrin Kosenkranius, Katrin Veegen, Keesi Kapsta, Krista Laos, Liina Lelov, Mari Pärtelpoeg, Merike Balod, Raili Vinn, Sille Luiga, Sven Tali, Ülle Mesikäpp, Ülle Voosalu, Vello Lillemets ja Viktorija Lillemets.
Curated by Sille Luiga
The SURPRISE EGG EXHIBITION can be visited from March 11 in the showroom of A-Galerii and the exhibition will remain open until April 30, 2024. We are grateful for spreading the word!
Eggs can also be found in our e-shop under the EGG category.
TRANSMISSION A-Galerii 30
TRANSMISSION, as a term, signifies the act of transferring: in practice, it refers to the conveyance of force, energy, and control. It also encompasses the transfer of thoughts and ideas, from one entity to another. Thus, every belief encompasses transmission, an intelligent organizing energy that can catalyze change.
The title TRANSMISSION in this exhibition’s context arbitrarily interprets the English term and emphasizes on the part ‘mission,’ highlighting purpose-driven and responsible action.
Memory is selective; objects retain and aid in our recollection. Jewellery is remembered, and through it, people and time. Throughout history, jewellery has been a carrier of memory. With this focus, we turn our gaze to a time when the entire art scene in Estonia was undergoing significant changes. Figuratively speaking, it was a time when doors were closing and opening—some slammed shut with a bang, others were gently kicked wide, all with a touch of arrogance and sincere enthusiasm.
The TRANSMISSION exhibition evokes a period from 30 years ago. On May 10, 1994, in the premises of the present-day HOP Gallery of the Estonian Artists’ Union, situated at Hobusepea 2, a distinctive gallery devoted to art jewellery was inaugurated through the financial backing and collaborative effort of 33 artists. The core of this exhibition consists of the works of these artists from the 1990s. Despite the relatively homogeneous closed learning and development environment, their jewellery creations were explorative and distinctive. Among them are artists who have since passed away, but fortunately, many talented new artists have emerged. Do we also find influences and traces of the 1990s in the works of these younger creators—contemporary ideas intermingling with those from the past? What has been added over time, and what has been lost? The curators do not deny that, in compiling the exhibition, they sought similarities and kinship rather than conflicts, with a hidden desire to witness transmissions and inspirations stemming from the pivotal jewelry art of that era.
The exhibition aims to pay homage to the pioneers, to all fellow travelers, and extends wishes of strength to those continuing the mission of A-Galerii. Today is tomorrow’s yesterday.
Exhibition curators: Tiina Käesel and Maria Valdma-Härm
Exhibition design: Maria Valdma-Härm
Graphic design: Rasmus Lukas
The exhibition features video clips from the ERR archive: “Estonian Jewellery” (parts 1 and 3, year 1990), director Tiina Pork, consultant Tiina Käesel.
The exhibition is supported by the Estonian Cultural Endowment.
Thanks to: Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design and Ketli Tiitsar.
A-Gallery celebrates its 27th birthday today
The home of Estonian jewelry, A-Gallery, will be 27 years old today. As a jewelry store and exhibition space, A-Gallery represents more than a hundred professional jewelry artists.
“Founding A-Gallery was a bold undertaking in its time. With our enthusiasm, we were also a guide to other applied arts disciplines. Combining different generations of metal artists, offering equal sales opportunities and creative activities to everyone has been the key to A-Gallery’s strength and survival for many years,” says Ene Valter, the founder and chairman of A-Gallery.
A-Gallery was founded in 1994 by jewellery artists who run the gallery to this day. The founding meeting of the gallery took place at the end of 1993. There were 32 founding members, including Ene Valter, Ülle Kõuts, Urve Küttner, Andrei Balašov, Mari Pärtelpoeg and Aino Kapsta. Later, 48 artists in total acquired shares of the enterprise. On May 10, 1994, A-Gallery opened its doors in the building of the Estonian Artists’ Union on Hobusepea Street (current location of HOP-gallery) where it stayed until 2005.
In its current location, on the corner of Hobusepea and Pikk streets, A-Gallery has been located since 2005. Today, A-Gallery has become a unique meeting point where one can get acquainted with the creations of over a hundred different authors.
“For me, A-Gallery is a home of Estonian art jewelry and a place where my work meets different artists and generations. I would say that it is a perfect timeline, every visitor gets a nice overview,” says the artist Claudia Lepik.
Each handmade piece of jewelry in A-Gallery is unique and made with a masterful technique. What makes A-Gallery even more special is the fact that many artists create their pieces right above the gallery where many artists have their studios.